Nurse Red
by Hades'Queen
Summary: In which Emma gets sick, and Ruby takes care of her. RedSwan One-shot. It's more pre-femslash. Don't like, then don't read. Although, it can be taken as mere friendship as there is nothing overt in this story.


**Disclaimer:** Once Upon a Time and it's characters are property of ABC.

**A/n:** This is my first ever Red Swan fic, written on request from KatnissEverdeenFan24. I hope that people enjoy it. This will be a one-shot, as I do not have time to write another chap-length fic as I have too much on my plate already; sorry.

**Nurse Red**

Emma wasn't strictly sure how this had happened. How had she allowed Ruby to bully her home? For a moment, she frowned as she tried to breathe while fumbling with her keys. She cursed under her breath. She'd never been one to take illness with any grace, she'd always hated getting sick.

Ruby, watching Emma struggle looking for her keys while sniffling finally had enough. "Here, let me," she stated, reaching around the blond and snatching the keys away and started looking for the right one that would let her into Mary Margaret's place. Ignoring the glare Emma shot over her shoulder at her, and after trying a couple keys, Ruby managed to get the door open.

Emma didn't say anything to this as she pulled the keys out of the key hole and walked in. She fully intended to send Ruby on her merry way home, when the tall, slender brunette barged her way in, closing the door behind herself. "Ruby, what the hell?" Emma exclaimed, rather comically so as her chest was so congested her voice came out a little nasally.

"Relax, Emma. I'm gonna take care of you," Ruby tried to soothe with a friendly smile as she helped the Sheriff out of her coat as she removed her own and hung them up.

"Not that I don't appreciate this, Ruby, but I can really take care of myself," Emma stated, removing her scarf and hat as Ruby did the same. Emma felt her annoyance growing with the brunette she had recently helped. She had no doubt that Ruby was quite a capable young woman, but she didn't particularly want to be looked after. Emma didn't like people trying to take care of her. She'd grown up with no one there, no one to ever help and she was used to it. Now, she'd even say she preferred it that way.

"You have a lot on your plate right now, and I know Mary Margaret being locked up is upsetting to you. You're sick, just sit down and let me help you. I owe you at least this much," Ruby stated maneuvering Emma to the couch, feeling her heart clench oddly at the hurt puppy look in Emma's eyes when she mentioned the school teacher's current predicament. "Hey, how about some hot chocolate with cinnamon on it, just how you like it?" Ruby suggested with a warm smile, wanting to soothe the blonde and never again wanting to see that lost little girl look in her favorite Sheriff's eyes. She wasn't sure why, but that look had pierced her heart rather painfully, something that had never really happened before.

Emma sighed and nodded, looking away from Ruby's eyes, burying her head in her hands. She wasn't sure how she could say no to the hot chocolate, never having really been able to. She hardly noticed when Ruby momentarily patted her on the shoulder before walking away to the kitchen.

Since Ruby had spend a couple days living with them, she knew where everything was kept and bustled around the kitchen making hot chicken noodle soup at the same time. When the hot chocolate was done, she walked back over to Emma and set her mug on the table.

"Thanks Ruby," Emma murmured, looking up and grabbing the mug. Ruby merely nodded briefly before heading back to the kitchen to finish the soup. As she went about her task, she kept shooting concerned glances at the woman hunched over on the couch who now and then would go into coughing fits. Ruby made note to go over to the pharmacy in the morning to get some medicine for Emma.

**XxX**

"You know, you don't have to do this, Ruby," Emma commented tiredly as Ruby tucked her into bed. Grudgingly, Emma had allowed Ruby to feed her the soup, which was really very good and allowed the tall brunette to bully her into taking a hot shower and she was now currently allowing said young woman to tuck her in. She'd always known that Ruby was a feisty girl, but hadn't she been depressed and self-deprecating only just a few days ago?

"I know, but I want to," Ruby said, smiling warmly at the blonde.

"Why?" Emma asked, the confusion so pronounced that it made Ruby's heart hurt. She didn't understand why Emma found it so hard to accept kindness, or the fact that sometimes people wanted to take care of her and it was okay to let them.

"I don't need a reason, we're friends. Friends take care of each other because they care about one another," Ruby replied with a shrug of he shoulders as she sat on the edge of Emma's bed as she finished tucking her in. For a moment, their eyes locked and Ruby found herself distracted by Emma's eyes and staring at them far longer than was probably necessary.

She'd simply never seen eyes like Emma's. Sometimes, they appeared the green of sea-glass to her. But there were times, usually in the dark, when they looked almost like dark chocolates. And then sometimes she was quite sure they were ice blue.

What got her most was their expressions. For the most part, they held a jaded defiance for life in general. However, there were times when they looked so sad and lost, Ruby would forget to breathe. Something inside her simply wanted to reach out to the blonde women and enfold her in her arms and never let anything touch her.

"I should get going," Ruby murmured, swallowing thickly as she rose, avoiding Emma's gaze as she felt a flush coursing up her neck. However, before she could turn and walk away, she felt a warm hand clasp onto her wrist. Turning around, she looked at Emma with questioning eyes.

"It's late, Ruby. Too late for you to walk all the way to the inn on your own," Emma stated in her best authoritative tone, which was a bit off due to her cold. Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but shut it at the steely and unyielding look in Emma's eyes which was fierce. "You can stay in Mary-" Emma stopped and shut her eyes, in pain at the thought that her best friend and roommate currently sleeping in a cell, on an uncomfortable cot instead of being home where she belonged.

"Or I could stay with you," Ruby suggested jokingly, wishing to lighten the mood. However, her stomach seemed to fill with butterflies at the very idea of sleeping in the same bed as the very attractive Sheriff. The longing to hold the other woman was becoming increasingly unbearable to contain. She just looked so adorable, all sick and tucked in all the way to the neck, looking bleary and sleepy.

The weak smile that Emma suddenly flashed her made the butterflies all the worse. "Yes, I'm sure I wouldn't get you too sick," Emma responded sardonically.

"I never get sick!" Ruby stated smugly. "I'm like Super-girl."

"According to Henry, you're Little Red Riding Hood," Emma snorted, under her breath. However, Ruby heard it. She'd always had quite sharp hearing. Actually, rather sharp senses in general. The statement made her laugh.

"Who are you calling little, Sheriff?" Ruby said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "I'm built like an Amazon!"

Emma looked over at Ruby appraisingly, causing Ruby's skin to feel like it was on fire. "You're tall, I'll give you that," Emma commented with a playfully patronizing shrug of her shoulders. "But I think you're a little too scrawny to qualify as an Amazon."

"Yes, well appearance's can be deceiving and all that. I'll have you know, I'm quite strong," Ruby defended. "You're just lucky you're sick, or I'd pounce on you and show you," Ruby grinned. She was enjoying the banter with the Sheriff quite more than she'd ever expect to.

"Ok, easy there tiger," Emma snorted, rolling her eyes which were feeling heavier. Turning on her side, she sighed and burrowed deep into the covers, unable to open her eyes again they were so heavy. "You're welcome to sleep wherever you like, just stay here the night. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you on your way home just 'cause you were taking care of me," Emma murmured sleepily, yawning as she did so that some of her words were distorted.

Ruby couldn't help the swelling she felt in her heart at this, nor the look of tenderness that crossed her face as she stared down at Emma as the blonde drifted off to sleep. Taking the woman at her words, she crawled into bed behind Emma after removing her shoes, and curled up behind Emma. Briefly, she looked over the sleeping woman and smiled at her.

"You deserve to be looked after too, sweet dreams Emma," Ruby whispered, placing a tender kiss on the soft, blonde curls before wrapping an arm around the blonde's waist and falling asleep.

_**Fin**_

**A/n: **All right, so that is all. Please review!


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